Stormwind Navy (GAN)
Note: This interpretation of the Stormwind Navy draws heavily from the Grand Alliance Navy Project. Players are welcome to use or develop their own interpretation of the Stormwind Navy. The Stormwind Navy is the navy of the Kingdom of Stormwind. While under the direct authority of the House of Wrynn, it is lead by Grand Admiral Jes-Tereth. She, along with many other military commanders (typically Admirals and Flag Officers) and additionally nobles from the Stormwind House of Nobles who are also high-ranking officers and commanders within the navy. Many of the Kingdom's lords donate men and their own ships to the navy as to ensure the protection of the realm from the sea. While the nobility contribute heavily to the ranks and strength of the Navy, it is worth noting that even those of non-noble birth have played key roles in the Stormwind Navy's history. Fleet Bases and Ports The Stormwind Navy has many ports and harbors all over Azeroth. Some are temporary and some are large harbors that are essential in the operations of the Fleets. Some of many ports are listed below. * Stormwind Harbor, Elwynn Forest - Headquarters * Dustshire, Tanaris * Highbank, Northeron * Marshtide Watch, Swamp of Sorrows * Menethil Harbor, Wetlands * Odesyus' Landing, Azuremyst Isle * Ravynstadt, Greyhallow * Valgarde Port, Howling Fjord * Valiance Keep, Borean Tundra Ship Classes Active Ship Classes ''Lion''-class Ship of the Line The Lion-class is a line of Heavy First Rates that currently serve as flagships and warships of the Stormwind Navy, and was designed at the start of the War against the Lich King. Based on the Kul Tiran Admiral-class, the Lion-class is one of the most powerful classes of battleship afloat, the Lion-class mounts 112 main guns and has the ability to fire a 1840 pound broadside, allowing it to take on almost any ship fielded by the Horde navies. Unfortunately, due to the immense size of these vessels, they have proven hard to manoeuvre in bad seas or low wind conditions, causing them to require experienced captains and a number of escort ships. Due to the size and high costs of manufacturing Lion-class ships, they are only fielded by the First Fleet of the Stormwind Navy, the King's Royal Fleet. ''Varian''-class Ship of the Line The Varian-class is the newest ship of the line class vessel to be produced for the Stormwind Navy. Designed during the Third Legion Invasion of Azeroth, the Varian-class combines the new technologies of the Gryphon-class with the power of the Barathen-class. Beginning its first production run during the Blood War, the Varian-class is planned to replace the Barathen-class, though for now both classes operate side by side. ''Barathen''-class Ship of the Line The Barathen-class is a line of Second Rate Battleships that currently serve as the primary ships of the line of the Kingdom of Stormwind's navy. Designed in the years before the First War, the Barathen-class comes from the same era as the Storm-class Frigate, but unlike its cousin, has been gradually upgraded over the intervening years, instead of being replaced by a newer class. ''Llane''-class Steam Ship of the Line Originally intended as the new ship to replace the Barathen-class, the Llane-class was forced to be placed on hold due to the fall of Stormwind. Following this, it went through a number of new phases, all of which were found unacceptable, until the war in Northrend saw it redesigned, like the Valiance-class, as a steam ship. Llane-class are usually found assigned to fleets operating in northern or windless waters, where their steam power and reinforced prows can provide the most benefit. ''Vanguard''-class Razee Designed to provide a heavy, 'razee-style' vessel, the Vanguard-class is the result of the top deck being partially removed from the Lion-class. Unfortunately, the shear size of a Vanguard-class vessels results in it remaining far less manoeuvrable than other razee's, which notably caused the lead ship of the class, the HMS Vanguard to be wrecked while in combat with the Horde Navy off Pandaria. Following this, the Vanguard-class has been re-assigned as heavy flagships for the divisions of the King's Royal Fleet, in a similar way to the use of the Lion-class. ''Lothar''-class Razee Building on the design set by the Adamant-class, the Lothar-class razee is the result of the Barathen-class vessel being 'razed' down, resulting in a 'battlecruiser' or 'cruiser-killer' style vessel. Designed to operate alongside the Varian-class in the same way the Adamants did for the Barathens, the Lothars have only recently begun to be converted, though they are planned to eventually replace the Adamant-class completely. ''Adamant''-class Razee The Adamant-class razee is a line of modified Fourth Rate Battleships that currently serve as the primary Razees of the Kingdom of Stormwind's navy. Designed as a way to modernise the obsolete Logan-class Fourth Rates, the Adamant-class' construction involves taking an old Fourth Rate and 'razing' off the upper decks, which results in a far faster and more seaworthy ship. As a result, the Adamant-class is one of the most powerful cruisers afloat, able to outgun any ship smaller than it and outrun any ship bigger than it. This has resulted in the design being copied by other human navies prior to the First War and cemented the Adamant's place in history. Currently, the Adamants serve as heavy scouting elements for the Navy's battle squadrons and are thus mostly concentrated in the King's Royal Fleet, though like the Barathen-class can be found in most fleets of the Navy. ''Defender''-class Steam Razee Notable as one of the few 'steam-powered' razees, the Defender-class is a razed Llane-class vessel. Created to allow the Navy to operate more 'cruiser killers' around Northrend during the Lich War, the Defender is in high demand in the modern era, as it has proven adept at hunting down and destroying sailing cruisers. ''Gryphon''-class Frigate The Gryphon-class frigate is the main frigate of the Stormwind Navy, having replaced the role of the Storm-class. Armored in steel, these warships have seen extensive service in the Alliance-Horde War. Notably, when compared to their predecessors, the Gryphons carry a rather high number of guns in their bow, with a total of ten compared to the Storm's six. This is due to their intended tactics, which involve sailing almost directly at the target and firing a salvo from the bow guns before turning to engage with broadsides, much as were the tactics among the human galleons in use a century or so early. These tactics are also the reason for the Gryphon's increased prow armor. ''Valiance''-class Steam Frigate Originally planned as the 590s replacement to the Storm-class, the Valliance-class suffered a major pause in its development due to the fall of Stormwind in the First War. Following this, the plans for the class were shelved for a decade, until the beginning of the war in Northrend saw them reviewed and modified to allow the ships to act in the cold, northern seas. As such, the Valiance-class is a type of steam frigate, mounting a engine and rear propeller to allow it to move against the wind. Meanwhile, the class' prow has also been strengthened, with lets it easily deal with pack ice. Though designed for the War against the Lich King, the Valiance-class has remained in service long past this point, though they are still commonly assigned where their steam power is needed. ''Riptide''-class Turuma Copied from the Varlandic Navy, the Riptide-class turuma or Riptide-class coastal frigate is designed for coastal work. Like the Storm-class, the Riptide carries a significant number of heavy guns and is typically used as a coastal raider or as a flagship for Tidal flotillas. ''Drake''-class Destroyer The Drake-class destroyer is the Stormwind Navy's newest class of destroyer. Derived from the Eagle-class in the same way the Thunder derived from the Lightning-class, the Drake-class is designed to serve as an escort to the newer Varian and Lothar-classes of the kingdom's battle squadrons. ''Thunder''-class Destroyer The Thunder-class Destroyer is the main destroyer of the Stormwind Navy. Designed to counter orcish and troll galleys during the Second War, the Thunder-class is notable for being named after the Lightning-class vessel HMS Thunder, which was the first vessel to prove the destroyer concept among the nations of the Eastern Kingdoms. As it is larger than the Eagle or Lightning-classes, the Thunder-class is less common. This rarity, coupled with the vessel's short range, means that the Thunder is only assigned as an escort to Ships of the Line such as the Lion and Barathen-classes, instead of being used for the convoy escort role like the navy's corvettes. The Thunder-class can usually be found in any fleet that uses Ships of the Line, though due to its rarity is sometimes replaced in this role by a smaller corvette. ''Vengeance''-class Steam Destroyer Cousin to the Llane, Defender, Valiance and Justice-classes, the Vengeance-class steam destroyer is a variation of the Thunder-class that has been equipped with a fortified prow and steam engine. The Vengeances were designed to provide escorts for the Llanes and Defenders in the areas around Northrend, though following the end of the wars there have been found accompanying their larger cousins to other theatres. ''Eagle''-class Corvette The Eagle-class corvette is the main corvette of the Stormwind Navy, having replaced the role of the Lightning-class. Armored in steel, the Eagle is effectively a miniaturised Gryphon-class vessel and similar to it has an increased number of prow guns compared to its predecessor. The Eagle, like the Lightning, is mostly designed to act as a convoy or fleet escort and, due to its size, is able to be easily built in small, civilian shipyards. ''Justice''-class Steam Corvette Designed as the corvette equivalent of the Valiance and Icebreaker-classes, the Justice-class steam corvette is a halfway point between its two cousins. Mounting a central paddle wheel compared to the Valiance's propellers and the Icebreaker's rear-mounted paddle wheel, the Justice-class would serve as the escort for the Icebreakers on their supply trips to Northrend, allowing the Valiance-class to act as commerce raiders. Similar to the Valiance-class, the Justice has remained in service long past the end of the wars in Northrend and remains a common ship today. ''Tidal''-class Pojama Also known as the Tidal-class brig or Tidal-class coastal corvette, the Tidal-class pojama is, like the Riptide-class, a design copied from the Varlandic Navy. A small and flat-bottomed, but heavily armed, vessel, a pojama is designed to work in coastal and riverine areas and such as adopted for use in areas such as the Swamp of Sorrows and the Nazferiti. Following the First War, many of the Tidal-class vessels were burnt or sunk by the Horde, though the class is still relatively common among the navy's riverine units. ''Spark''-class Sloop The Spark-class sloop, also known as the'' Spark''-class cutter, is the smallest of the ships designed for the Stormwind Navy before the First War. Designed for use as a riverine, customs and messager craft, the Sparks, like the rest of their kin, were named in reference to Stormwind's weather. In the modern fleet, the Spark-class serves mostly as a courier or customs vessel, as it lacks the weaponry to act as a true combatant. As such, it is found in most of the navy's fleets. ''Tiffin''-class Transport A modern form of the Varia-class transport, the Tiffin-class is, unlike many of the navy's newest ships, not designed to replace its predecessor, the Taylor-class. Instead, the Tiffin-class is a larger form of transport that is designed to complement the Taylors in their role as the navy's supply and support ships. ''Taylor''-class Transport The Taylor-class, though similar to the Kul Tiran Anchor-class, is a ship type designed primarily for transportation and miscellaneous fleet support. First designed and used during the Iron War on Draenor, they have become a more common sight in Alliance ports, slowly phasing out the old Proudmoore-class ships. The ship was originally designed with a wider hull, a thicker keel and a larger rudder in order to help with navigating around Draenor's harsher sea environments. The ship design was named after the late Admiral Taylor, a renowned war veteran who saw extensive naval service in the recent years, particularly in Draenor before his abrupt death in the Spires of Arak. ''Taria''-class Steam Transport The Taria-class steam transport is effectively the Stormwind Navy's steam powered equivalent to the Varia-class transport. Designed as a Llane-class that replaces its weaponry with transport capacity, the Taria-class is commonly used alongside the Icebreaker-class, due to both classes sharing similar traits. ''Icebreaker''-class Steam Transport The Icebreaker-class vessel is a ship originally designed to navigate the dangerous waters of Northrend. The adamantine ram allows it to destroy any obstacles found in its way, which mostly comprised of icebergs in Northrend. It was designed at the start of the War against the Lich King in order to bring the battle to the Scourge, but has seen much use during the Alliance-Horde War as transports. ''Tempest''-class Bomb Ketch The Tempest-class bomb ketch is the primary naval support vessel of the Stormwind Navy. Designed around a pair of mortars, the Tempest is able to provide marines or army units with gunfire support from off shore, though it sacrifices its ability to act as a true naval unit for this. Due to its specialised role, the Tempest is only found in the auxiliary fleet of the navy. Semi-Active Ship Classes ''Storm''-class Frigate Formerly the main frigate class used by the Stormwind Navy, the Storm-class is a class of light Fifth Rate frigate designed by the Stormwind Royal Shipyards. The Storm-class was a highly advanced ship for its time and included recent technological advancements such as gun carriages and copper sheathing to increase speed. Though replaced as the navy's main frigate by the Gryphon-class, the Storm-class still continues to serve in secondary fleets and squadrons such as the Duskwood Fleet. ''Lightning''-class Corvette Formerly the main corvette class used by the Stormwind Navy, the Lightning-class corvette is a class of Sixth Rate corvette designed by the Stormwind Royal Shipyards. Made by the same design initiative that produced the Barathen, Adamant and Storm-classes, the Lightning was a highly advanced ship for its time and included recent technological advancements such as gun carriages and copper sheathing to increase speed. Though replaced as the navy's main corvette by the Eagle-class, the Lightning-class still continues to serve in secondary fleets and squadrons such as the Duskwood Fleet. ''Varia''-class Transport Formerly the primary transport of the Stormwind Navy, the Varia-class transport is a class of transport designed by the Stormwind Royal Shipyards. Like the Barathen, Adamant, Storm, Lightning, Spark and Tempest-classes, the Varia-class was designed as part of the 540s Naval Scheme and was effectively a Barathen-class that had had its armament mostly removed in favour of transport capacity. The First War saw the stock of Varia-class vessels heavily depleted, which resulted in their replacement by the smaller Proudmoore-class following Stormwind's re-establishment. ''Proudmoore''-class Transport The Proudmoore-class merchant vessel is a ship primarily designed as a cargo ship to transport goods and people over long distances. Named after the war hero Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore, the ship was designed in the years immediately after the Second War in order to faciliate the transport of the massive amount of raw materials and laborers required to rebuild Stormwind from the northern nations of the Eastern Kingdoms. Though a Kul Tiran invention, it has seen much use by the Stormwind Navy, however it is slowly being replaced with the newer and more efficient Taylor-class. Ranks Officers Admiralty Ranks * Grand Admiral - * Admiral - * Vice Admiral - * Rear Admiral - * Commodore - Senior Officers * Flag Captain - * Captain - * Commander - * Lieutenant Commander - Junior Officers * Flag Lieutenant - * Lieutenant - * Ensign - * Midshipman - Enlisted Warrant Officers * Chief Warrant Officer of the Navy - * Chief Warrant Officer - * Master Warrant Officer - * Warrant Officer - Non-Commissioned Officers * Chief Petty Officer - * Master Petty Officer - * Petty Officer - * Master Seaman - Sailors * Leading Seaman - * Able Seaman - * Seaman - * Recruit - Fleets of the Navy Like the majority of navies, the Stormwind Navy is made up of a number of Fleets and Battle Fleets. Battle Fleets The Stormwind Navy has five Battle Fleets in total. Each of these units is manned by the different lords and commoners from every province within the realm of Stormwind that contains a coastline and are augmented by an additional two Battle Fleets within the Navy that serve as a Royal Fleet of the Kingdom's most powerful warships and a Auxiliary Fleet of the navy's support ships. Following in the footsteps of the Gilnean and Tirasian Navies, each Battle Fleet of the Stormwind Navy is given a color to identify it, with the Elwynn, Redridge and Westfall Fleets being given the colors Green, Gold and Red respectively. Meanwhile, the King's Royal and Auxiliary Fleets are given the colors Blue and White respectively. King's Royal Fleet * Last Known Leader: King Anduin Wrynn * Size: 32 ships, 28,800 personnel * Homeport: Stormwind City * Status: Active. Auxiliary Expedition Fleet * Last Known Leader: Admiral Jenna Cantlebree * Size: 51 ships, 9,825 personnel * Homeport: Valiance Keep * Status: Active. Elwynn Fleet * Last Known Leader: Unknown. * Size: Unknown. * Homeport: Southport * Status: Active. Westfall Fleet * Last Known Leader: Admiral Francis Haltring * Size: Unknown. * Homeport: Unknown. * Status: Active. Redridge Fleet * Last Known Leader: Unknown. * Size: Unknown. * Homeport: Unknown. * Status: Active. Fleets While the majority of the Navy consists of Battle Fleets, there are also a number of minor fleets. Each of these smaller fleets is typically less than half the size of a full Battle Fleet and is instead used to provide a reserve force for the main fleets. Like their larger cousins, each fleet is manned by the lords and commoners of a large fiefdom or, in the case of the Stormwind and Duskwood Fleets, the capital city or a landlocked province respectively. Stormwind Fleet * Last Known Leader: Admiral Lelrollin Rainer * Size: 29 ships * Homeport: Stormwind City * Status: Active. Duskwood Fleet * Last Known Leader: Admiral John von Hastings * Size: 25 ships * Homeport: Menethil Harbor * Status: Active. The Fifth Fleet has been active towards the Northern Seas alongside the Fifth Royal Marine Regiment, and has incurred losses in its battles during the Blood War. Greyhallow Fleet * Last Known Leader: Admiral Strommyr Krakyr * Size: 97 ships, 22,500 personnel * Homeport: Ravynstadt * Status: Reformed into the Rostkammyr Navy. Redrock Fleet * Last Known Leader: N/A * Size: Unknown. * Homeport: Redrock * Status: Active. Red Steppes Fleet * Last Known Leader: Unknown. * Size: Unknown. * Homeport: Unknown. * Status: Disbanded.Disbanded following the War of the Three Hammers Westridge Fleet * Last Known Leader: Admiral Hugoh Anneblaut * Size: 6 ships * Homeport: Bridgeport * Status: Active Fleet of the Evenbroad (Evenbroad Fleet) * '''Last Known Leader: '''Captain Halvard Toll (de facto), Admiral Belethrond Eastlang (de jure) * '''Size: '''1 ship * '''Homeport: '''Redgate (former), Shatterhelm (temporary) * '''Status: '''Inactive Notable Stormwind Naval Personnel Notable Stormwind Navy Ships Notes Category:Grand Alliance Navy Category:Stormwind Navy Category:Kingdom of Stormwind Category:Organizations Category:Military Organizations Category:Stormwind Military Category:Stormwind Organizations